Arcade Project

[AndyC]

Just thought I'd provide a little update on the MAME machine. Picked up a used Athlon XP 2200 CPU and board (the P3 was too slow), and a new hard drive, installed it in an old case, networked it to my regular computer and installed MAME on it. Little by little, I'm sorting out the settings and working out the kinks, as well as customizing the front end program to give it the right look and an easy way to browse the titles.

I also have joysticks and buttons on order, along with an old Atari trackball that I hope to join up with a mouse interface and mount in the panel. Also looking for suitable materials to build a spinner with mouse electronics as well.

I've gotten the OK to use the woodshop at church for building the cabinet. I'm pretty well equipped at home, but I do lack a drill press and more importantly, space for a project of this size.

Contacted a friend who used to be in the sign business (and still has connections), and he figures he can get the marquee printed at a professional sign shop for next to nothing.

Which brings me to the next problem. I don't know what to call this machine. I want a name that is catchy, looks good spelled out, describes the machine, conveys a note of nostagia for the 80s and arcades, and, very importantly, hasn't been done.

Names like Supercade, Multicade, Omnicade, Ubercade and Ultracade are already taken. Personalized stuff like Campbellcade or Andycade look awkward, and a little bit vain. So, I'm stuck. Maybe I should drop the variations on "arcade" and try a different direction, but nothing good is coming to mind.

Anybody have suggestions?



Post Edited (02-02-05 14:14)

[Derf]

I know it's goofy, but since all these games are pirated (I know, maybe not technically, but still), how about a pirate theme banner and call it the "PIRATE AAARGH-CADE"? Then most of the case could be black with a simple skull and crossbones.

[Menard]

How about CAMPCADE or Camp Cade

[AndyC]

LOL! I love it. I just don't think I could fit it on the marquee, not with the appropriate emphasis on the pirate growl :)

Maybe I should specify that it needs to fit, nice and big, on a sign about 6" x 24" or thereabouts.

[Menard]

Along the same vein, how about Booty Box.

[AndyC]

Would you believe my joysticks and buttons just arrived today? I only ordered them on Friday, and they were shipped all the way from British Columbia, a couple thousand miles. They were packed in a Molson Canadian case, no less.

Now I really have to decide which encoder I'm buying, so I can hook all of this up.

[Derf]

If you are at all interested, I could e-mail you a mock up (to size and everything) of a possible AAAARGH-CADE marquis. I don't expect you to necessarily use it or anything; it's just that the more I thought about it, the more fun it seemed, so I put it together (I had a few minutes to kill anyway). I do some graphics work, and while this is a bit too "clip-arty" for my tastes, it works reasonably well. If I could just post it I would, but as near as I can tell, you can only post links to pictures, not the pictures themselves. Anyway, let me know if you'd like to take a look.

[AndyC]

Sure, send it to baldy1138@yahoo.ca

[AndyC]

Nicely done, but not quite my style. I'll want to design my own anyway.

Interesting font though. What's it called?

[Derf]

I downloaded it off of one of the free true type fonts sites. It's called Rapscallion.

[dean]

Is there a large selection of games or is there just a few main titles?  If there's just a few, maybe get the general feel of it from them.

By the way, I like the pirate idea Derf.  'Argh, we be playing Frogger after a hard day's pillaging, Aargh!!'

[JohnL]

>Would you believe my joysticks and buttons just arrived today? I only ordered
>them on Friday, and they were shipped all the way from British Columbia, a
>couple thousand miles. They were packed in a Molson Canadian case, no less.
>
>Now I really have to decide which encoder I'm buying, so I can hook all of this up.

Do you have any links that explain the use of an encoder as it relates to hooking up controls for an arcade emulator? I've seen references to using an encoder before, and I know that it's some kind of interface, but I've never been clear on what they can do, or how one would use them.

[AndyC]

Basically, it's like the encoder board in a keyboard. Mame is designed to work with a keyboard, so every button and joystick movement corresponds to a keystroke (5 is coin in, 1 is player 1 start, ctrl is fire, etc.) The encoder makes your computer think your controls are a keyboard. Home cabinet builders originally hacked cheap keyboards, soldering the leads to the encoder board. It worked, but it required more effort and didn't always work well. Now, there are a whole bunch of encoders designed specifically for the purpose of connecting arcade controls to your ps/2 port.

Probably two of the best encoders are the IPAC, found at www.ultimarc.com, and the Keywiz, at www.groovygamegear.com. I bought the latter, largely because it's half the price and seems to be just as good.

www.arcadecontrols.com might also help you.



Post Edited (02-05-05 12:03)